Probe of party chair just a witchhunt by county prosecutor

To the Editor:

I have served as an official of the Athens County Democratic Party for many years. The dedication shown by Susan Gwinn as the head of our party is beyond reproach. Official records show that Susan has given more than $50,000 to the party and to Democratic candidates since becoming chair. She has given thousands of hours to the Democratic Party and its candidates.

Susan decided to run for county prosecutor because she believed injustice was happening in our prosecutor's office. What is now happening to Susan is what she was trying to stop. Dave Warren, the county prosecutor, started a witchhunt against Susan in July 2008.

He selected David Yost, the Delaware County prosecutor, to be a special prosecutor to find whatever he could against Susan. Warren had a court order signed, which stated no facts requiring an investigation, or against whom said investigation would occur.

If there was a tip about something Susan Gwinn did, why wasn't her name or the alleged action she took included in the court order? The reason is clear: They didn't have anything at the time the court order was presented.

Dave Yost is currently a Republican candidate for Ohio attorney general. He has spent hundreds of hours of staff time investigating Susan. He is a partisan Republican who is trying to make a name for himself for his race for attorney general. He has reviewed thousands of pages of party records trying to find something to go after Susan for. Why isn't Dave Yost in Delaware County doing his job?

During the 2008 election, Warren showed support for Republican candidates for office, including Steve Kane, the Republican for county sheriff, and Larry Payne, the Republican for county commissioner.

After the 2008 election, Warren planned his own swearing-in ceremony to compete with the one planned by the county party.

A review of Warren's actions in this matter regarding Susan Gwinn needs to be made. Questions need to be asked. How does the county Republican Party chairman, Pete Couladis, know when Yost is in Athens, when the victim of the witchhunt, Susan Gwinn, does not know?

People have told me they are afraid to step forward to stop this injustice because they are afraid they too will become a victim of Dave Warren. I want to remind people that if Warren is not stopped, any one of us could be next. There are virtually no limitations on what a prosecutor can do except those limits imposed by the public. Please demand that an investigation of Warren and Yost be conducted so that justice can once more reign in our county.

Ruth Goodman
Millfield